Different Isn't Necessarily Bad
by Daisywcck
Summary: Hermione, Harry, and Ron are in their sixth year and they are changing. What happens when the one person they believe would never change, does? ABANDONED.
1. Introduction

****

Disclaimer: Good stuff belongs to JKR, the junk is mine. Don't sue.

****

Different Isn't Necessarily Bad

__

Prequel to The Secret Parchments

WHACK!

A sour-faced Ron Weasley rubbed the side of his head and ran his fingers over the growing goose egg.

"Ruddy owl!! What do you think you're DOING?!" Ron said angrily, glaring at Pigwideon, his overly excited owl that was given to him as a gift from Sirius Black, an alleged murderer and Godfather to Ron's best friend, Harry Potter. Pig, as Ron called him, was fluttering around on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, causing a mess. Crookshanks, Hermione's ginger cat, took the opportunity to take control over the situation. He snatched Pig in his mouth and scurried off.

"Crookshanks, NO!" yelped Hermione, chasing after her cat and the owl, followed by a panic stricken Ron. They finally caught the cat as they reached Ron's dormitory. The cat had placed the owl down on the four-poster bed and was sitting innocently at the foot of the bed while Pig hooted softly and clicked his beak in content. Ron sighed, glanced at Hermione, and began to walk out the door, but was met by Harry. Harry held out a letter, sealed with the Weasley crest, and Ron took it and tore it open. Harry and Hermione looked at him expectantly when he was through reading the letter.

"I've got to go to Romania this Christmas." Ron scowled.

"Your mum and dad decided already? It's only October!" said Hermione.

"They made plans early I guess." Ron looked as if he would have to be dragged to Romania with his family, and from the way he was acting, it probably would be if he wasn't careful. Harry and Hermione, however, had come to grips with Ron's new stubborn attitude, which was the result of being in the wake of five successful older brothers, and not receiving as many O.W.L.s as he had wished.

It was hard to believe that the threesome was in their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry had become the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain as well as keeping his position as Seeker, Ron had become one of the Beaters like his twin brothers before him, and Hermione was a Prefect, which was no surprise. The surprise though, was what Ginny Weasley had grown into. It was common knowledge that Ginny had been rather taken with Harry Potter since her first year at Hogwarts. While in her fourth year, Harry had offered to give her flying lessons on his Firebolt. Ginny turned out to be quite the flier, and surprisingly, a fair Beater, despite her size. When the twins, Fred and George, had finally caught up to Ludo Bagman, the former Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps, and he had agreed to endorse their new joke shop, the two boys introduced Bagman to Ginny. He of course, was very taken with the young girl's enthusiasm for the sport, and offered to coach her. The very next year, Ginny was on the house Quidditch team. This resulted in many snide remarks made by the Slytherins, mainly Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy, a loyal Death Eater in the service of Lord Voldemort. They continued to call Ginny "Pint Size" until she directed a Bludger at Malfoy, knocking him out cold during the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch Final last year. Malfoy was silenced by his mortification.

All of the sixth years seemed to be growing up quickly. Hermione had grown into a beautiful, young woman, save the bushy brown hair, now wavy and somewhat tamed. Harry, although still in glasses, had grown to look more handsome and more like his father every day.


	2. Ferret Boy Steals a Book

Different Isn't Necessarily Bad

Chapter 2

Ron looked up from his letter and to the faces of Hermione and Harry.

"Where are you two spending Christmas?"

At the same time, Harry answered, "With Sirius," and Hermione replied, "Here."

Harry's answer was expected while Hermione's was not.

"Here? Why aren't you going home from Christmas?" Ron asked as they headed back down the stairs and out of the portrait hole. She was about to answer his question when Harry suddenly collided with Neville Longbottom, who was now blushing profusely.

"Sorry, Harry! Bullocks! I'm late to meet Ginny! Sorry 'Mione. Ron." Neville dashed through the portrait hole, into the common room and out of sight.

"Ginny, again?" Hermione blinked. Ron nodded. Neville had been pursuing Ginny Weasley since the start of their sixth year. Ron shook his head in disgust.

"So why do you have to stay here at Hogwarts over vacation, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well, I have to stay because I'm a Prefect and I have some Prefect duties I have to take care of-"

"So you have to stay here with that blasted Mal-"

"Yes, Weasel," started a nasty, drawling voice, "Granger has to stay here over Christmas. She must be blessed to spend some alone time with me. Of course, I'll spend a lot of time in the bathroom, disinfecting my hands. Can't have a Mudblood hanging all over me, can I?" Draco Malfoy smirked as he gave Hermione the once-over. Hermione, who had grown numb to his incessant taunting, replied, "Sod off, Malfoy, before I, Harry, or Ron land you in the Hospital Wing. Actually, I shouldn't have said that. Now you'll NEVER leave us alone. Merlin knows how much you _fancy_ Madam Pomfrey." With that, Hermione brushed past Malfoy, hitting her shoulder against his forcefully, Ron and Harry following.

"That was bloody brilliant, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed when they reached the Great Hall to finish their lunch.

"Well, I've developed my own witty remarks this year." Harry grinned at this. "If only I didn't have to stay here planning the-" She cut herself off. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"That's the THIRD time you done that, Hermione. Why can't you just tell us what the Prefects are planning? I mean, _Malfoy_ knows, why can't we?"

"Because, Ron! He's a Prefect and you two are not." Ron rolled his eyes and began to butter his roll. A brown, spotted owl flew in overhead and dropped a rolled up paper onto the table. Hermione smiled and unrolled it carefully. It was _The Daily Prophet_.

Hermione glanced over a few of the articles and glared at one of them.

"What is it, Hermione?"

"Rita Skeeter is writing for the _Prophet _again." Hermione dropped the paper onto the table and looked at Harry and Ron in disgust.

Rita Skeeter had registered as an Animagus and was writing for the wizarding paper once again.

"Blimey! Look at the time! Divination starts in ten minutes!" Harry gasped. Hermione grinned.

"I'll see you in Care of Magical Creatures, alright then?" Ron nodded and waved at Hermione. She gathered her books and headed to the library. 

She had spent fifteen minutes searching for the exact book she needed when she finally found it. As soon as she stretched her hand out to pick up the book, her hand collided with another, a pale hand with long fingers attached to it.

"Granger! What are you doing here?" asked an irritated and startled Malfoy.

"Reading! You should try it sometime. But then, you'd have to know _how_." Hermione reached out for the book again, but Draco snatched it away.

"I was her first, Granger. Rotten luck." Draco sneered at a thoroughly annoyed Hermione Granger. Hermione glared at him and began, " My name is HERMIONE. Her-Mi-O-Ne! If you are too stupid and thick to know that, then you can just SHOVE OFF MALFOY!!!" Hermione was yelling and everyone in the library was staring.

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Granger!" Madam Pince hissed. "Never in all these years have I asked you to leave my library, Miss Granger, but I must do so now. Such conduct is not appropriate for my library, nor for any Prefect!" Hermione glanced downwards while Draco smirked. She grabbed her books and walked through the library, running into Draco as she did.

"Granger! Watch it! Not only are you a _hypocrite_," he hissed, "but you're becoming ignorant as well." He sneered.

"Hypocrite? _ME?_" Hermione gaped at Malfoy.

"Yes. You make such a fuss about me calling you 'Granger' all the time and all the while you keep spitting out my last name as if it is a curse! My name is Draco, Hermione." He said through gritted teeth. He sulked off angrily, leaving an agitated Hermione to her thoughts.


	3. Longing

****

Disclaimer: The good stuff is JKR's. The shit is mine. 

A/N: _I apologize for not updating sooner…I had two shows, Thespian conference, auditions for Stetson, NYU, and Elon… so February was…hell. Fun…but hell. Now that I've gotten off my lazy arse and updated…maybe ya'll will like me. One can only hope. It's 3 o'clock in the morning…please forgive typos, spelling and grammar errors, and other things that this Daisy has written incorrectly as her mind is far, far away…_

Different Isn't Necessarily Bad

Chapter 3

On the morning of Halloween, Ron, Harry, Dean, and Seamus entered the Gryffindor Common Room wrapped up in their scarlet scarves.

"You sure you're not coming, Hermione?" asked Dean.

"Yes, I'm quite sure. You four have fun, alright?"

Hesitantly, Harry replied, "Alright, Hermione." 

With that, the four boys were off again, off to Hogsmeade for the day. Although she was tempted to come along, she knew she needed to remain at school. There was so much work to be done! She wanted so desperately to be Head Girl next year, that her studies were now-more than ever- her top priority and a serious concern of hers. When a group of rowdy first years began playing a game of Exploding Snap, Hermione sighed and gathered her things to head for her dormitory. As she entered her room, she saw a dark brown owl tapping at her window. Sighing, she set down her books and stacked them neatly on her bed- temporarily, of course. She took the letter from the owl's outstretched leg and it retreated without a backward glance.

__

Miss Granger,

Please report to my office at 11:00 A.M. today. 

Hermione inhaled sharply. What had she done?

__

I apologize for scheduling this meeting so last-minute, 

but I have some matters to discuss with the Prefects.

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore

Hermione exhaled in relief. She had no doubt in her mind that the Yule Ball would be the topic of the discussion. The success of the celebration during her fourth year was so tremendous, that this year would be the third year in a row that Hogwarts hosted an annual Yule Ball. Viktor Krum, the world-famous Bulgarian Seeker and Tri-Wizard Champion for the Durmstrang Institute, had escorted Hermione to the Ball two years ago. He had since graduated, and Hermione was placed in an awkward position when Colin Creevey had approached her last year and asked her to be his date. Having more heart than brain in that situation, Hermione could not decline. She was subjected to an evening of injuries. Colin, now nicknamed "Club-foot" by Harry and Ron, had caused Hermione more pain to her ego than to her feet. Pansy Parkinson, escorted by the always-hateful Draco Malfoy, had found it very amusing to point out Hermione's "status in the school" and continued to tease her about her appeal to the opposite sex. Harry and Ron's popularity had both increased as they grew into more attractive, young men, constantly capturing the attention of the girls in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, while Hermione had not managed to have one romantic interest since Viktor Krum. Pansy and her gang of Slytherin girls had found it quite comical to remind Hermione of this and the way neither Harry nor Ron had seemed to pay her much mind romantically. She ignored this, however, she was still subjected to Madame Pomfrey's quizzical looks when she uncovered her several broken toes, which were harder to ignore or explain.

__

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

"Another Yule Ball. I figured the old coot would be tired of hearing The Weird Sisters two years in a row. And we have to plan it? Bollocks. Wait 'till my father hears about this!" Draco complained in his usual whine as the Prefects left Dumbledore's office.

"It's our duty as Prefects, Malfoy." Hermione rolled her eyes. Clearly, Malfoy wanted to be a Prefect, yet he did not want to have to deal with any of the responsibilities. How typical.

"Shutup, Granger. Who cares if it's our _duty_?" Draco ran his hand through his slick, white-blond hair.

"Sod-off, Draco."

"What?"

"I said, sod-off."

"No." Draco stopped walking.

"No?" Hermione gave Draco a threatening glare. He responded with his usual smirk.

"So it's true then." Draco gave Hermione the once over. Hermione was offended immediately.

"What's true, Malfoy?"

"So it's back to Malfoy, eh?" Draco folded his arms across his chest.

"What's true, _Draco_?" Hermione asked between gritted teeth.

"That the Mudblood who despises me doesn't actually despise me at all. How very touching." Draco smirked again, causing Hermione to roll her eyes after contemplating whether or not to hit him in the face. Choosing the latter, she spoke, folding her own arms across her chest.

"No, Draco." It felt very odd when she used his first name. "I just feel that since you and I are both Prefects, that it would be much easier if we used our first names with each other, and refrained from so much hostility."

"Granger, you fancy me." Hermione blinked several times.

"What?" Draco smirked again. "I do NOT fancy you in any way, shape or form, Draco Malfoy! That is what you have Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson for!" 

Draco scowled. 

"That PUG?!?" Hermione's lips curved into a smile.

"Oh, Draco, you shouldn't be talking about your beautiful girlfriend that way. What would she say?" Hermione said innocently. Draco glared at her, his eyes becoming daggers.

"HER?!?! My GIRLFRIEND? I would rather kiss YOU than to-" He broke off, realizing what he had implied. Hermione smirked in response. His smirk. It was amazing how she had turned the tide so quickly. Draco thought of her in a new way all of a sudden. Hermione had won. Then, unfortunately for her, he smiled. A real smile. When she saw this, she realized two things: one, she had never seen Draco Malfoy really smile; and two, her stomach was flipping. She couldn't help but return the smile. She heard her brain cursing her and telling her who he really was, and she was snapped back to reality.

"Imagine that." She spoke coldly. "You, a Malfoy, kissing a MUDBLOOD. What a joke!" She grimaced and turned on her heel. There was no way she was going to let Malfoy trick her into fancying him, just to embarrass her later on. She left Malfoy in the corridor, stunned, angry, and above all, confused. Confused about the Gryffindor Prefect storming off, who suddenly looked beautiful and unattainable to him. Those two things were quite inappropriate for a Malfoy to think. He scowled. Unattainable? He knew of no such thing. He would have her, he decided, and nothing was going to get this Malfoy's way.

__

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Draco rolled over for the thousandth time in his four-poster bed. He just could not sleep, no matter how hard he tried. His head was filled with thoughts of Hermione. Her hair that was comprised of soft curls, her curvaceous figure, her lips that we beckoning him…

__

SSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCCHHH! 

PULL THAT BROOMSTICK TO A HAULT BEFORE YOU POKE SOMEONE'S EYE OUT!

Curvaceous? Beckoning? What has gotten into me?? This is that…that…Mudblood! 

He was ashamed. He was longing for her. He tried to shake the idea of her belonging to him out of his head. He slipped out of his bed and grabbed his wand off of his bedside table.

"Accio green boxers!" He said impatiently. His drawer flew open and his boxer shorts flew over to him. He slipped them on and ran his hand through his disheveled hair, causing it to stick up even more. He yawned, stretched, and continued across his room. Glancing at his clock on the wall, he groaned. It was nearly four in the morning. He opened the door to the Prefect Common Room, hoping to get some Transfiguration homework done. He, of course, needed to keep up with his studies if he wanted to be Head Boy next year. His father would be very disappointed if he was not given that particular honour. When he walked in, he was taken by surprise. Hermione, lying on the couch by the fire, was awake and reading a book. Not that that was surprising, it was more surprising of what she was wearing. Or not wearing. Cocking his head to one side, he looked her over. She was wearing a small T-shirt and shorts. Muggle clothing, of course.

"Nice shorts, Draco." Hermione grinned, knowing she had caught Malfoy staring at her legs.

Draco suddenly realized how naked he must have seemed, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and socks, and flushed pink. Hermione was taken aback. She had never see Malfoy blush before.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you blushing?" Hermione said coolly. Draco smiled at her, looked down at himself, and said smoothly, "accio, robe" and his robe appeared a few seconds later in his hands. 

"What are you doing up so early in the morning?" Draco asked, stifling a yawn. Hermione moved to her right so that he could sit down next to her.

"I couldn't sleep." She said, yawning as well.

"Me neither." There was an awkward pause between them and Draco finally spoke.

"Granger, do you want to be Head Girl next year?"

"It would be an honour. I hope I have the grades for it. I don't know if-" Draco cut her off.

"Shutup, Hermione. You know you have the top grades in the school. My father reminds me constantly. Of course you're going to be Head Girl." Draco shook his head at her ignorance.

"What did you call me?" Hermione asked slowly. Draco shook his head in confusion. 

"I don't know, what?" Draco sneered.

"You called me, Hermione, Draco."

Draco responded coldly. "So? What if I did? I'm not going to want to start sitting next to you in Potions or anything. Not that it matters anyway. Mudblood." 

"Fine, Draco. Have it your way. If you want to continue this little charade, that is fine by me. I only suggest to you that stay out of _this _Mudblood's way if you want to make it to your seventh year. One can only hope that you do not. Goodnight Dragon." Hermione stared fiercely into Draco's icy gray eyes. She turned, flipping her hair, hitting him in the eye as she did, and stalked off to her room. Her door slammed shut a moment later. Draco just stood there for a moment, doing nothing except thinking. He turned to his own room, muttering to himself, "Idiot Granger."

He could have sworn to Merlin that he heard a whimper come from Hermione's room, but he disregarded it immediately and slammed his own door.


End file.
